Assalam Alaikum, As per my study, I found there are two types of Polytheist (Mushrik). First the one who totally refuse to accept Islam and set partners with Allah. Second the one who although say the Shahadatain (Kalima Tauheed) and despite saying the Shahadah, they visit to the graves and ask help from the dead people. They also made Wasta & Wasila of pious people to reach to Allah. They trust on the other things rather than Allah. They hang emulates and think that it will save them from the evil sight. They also do many other things which clearly indicate that they believe & trust on them other than Allah. As Allah says in Surat Yousuf verse # 106. “And most of them believe not in Allah without associating (other as partners) with Him!” As we all know as per the following verse # 72 of Surat Al-Maeda) that polytheist’s permanent abode is hellfire " Whoever joins other gods with Allah,- Allah will forbid him the garden, and the Fire will be his abode. There will for the wrong-doers be no one to help. What is the status of these types of Polytheist (Mushrik), would both of them will be in hell fire for ever? Or will the second type will be given any relief as they uttered the Kalima Tauheed. Or there will be different levels in Hellfire where they will place according to their seriousness of shirk. Please clarify this matter according to Quran & Sunnah. Jazak Allah Khair

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

We have already issued Fatwa 82456 clarifying the types of Shirk and gave examples about it, so please refer to it.

There is no doubt that seeking the help of the dead and taking pious people as intermediaries and intercessors with Allaah by calling upon them instead of calling Allaah, and wearing amulets and believing that they benefit by themselves, then there is no doubt that this is a major type of Shirk which takes the person out of the fold of Islam. Whoever does this has indeed set rivals with Allaah and there is no difference between him and the original polytheist. The latter worshipped other than Allaah, and whoever commits those acts of Shirk has worshipped other than Allaah as well. Whoever dies upon this state will abide eternally in Hellfire, as Allaah Says (what means): {Indeed, he who associates others with Allaah — Allaah has forbidden him Paradise, and his refuge is the Fire. And there are not for the wrongdoers any helpers.}[Quran 5:72]. The ruling in this case is the same for the original polytheist and an apostate.

The fact that some of those who associate partners with Allaah bear witness that None has the right to be worshipped but Allaah, does not help them at all because, by associating partners with Allaah, they contradicted their testimony. For instance, a person who performs ablution and then invalidates his ablution may perform one thousand prayers, yet his prayers will not be accepted until he performs ablution. Similarly, he who associates partners with Allaah and dies upon this state, his deeds are not accepted, as Allaah Says (what means): {And what prevents their expenditures from being accepted from them but that they have disbelieved in Allaah and in His Messenger.}[Quran 9:54]. Allaah also Says (what means): {And We will approach [i.e. regard] what they have done of deeds and make them as dust dispersed.}[Quran 25:53]. Indeed Allaah has warned His Prophet and all other Prophets, may Allaah exalt their mention, against committing Shirk, as Allaah Says (what means): {And it was already revealed to you and to those before you that if you should associate [anything] with Allaah, your work would surely become worthless, and you would surely be among the losers.}[Quran 39:65].

Finally, it should be noted that if a Muslim commits acts of Shirk, then it is not ruled that he is a disbeliever or an apostate except after establishing the evidence against him, and it is the Muslim judge who would inflict the appropriate punishment on him.

 For more benefit, please refer to Fatwa 87963.